Two held for smuggling Rs 4 crore worth gold at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA)

Mumbai: Mumbai Customs officials on Sunday busted an alleged international gold smuggling racket at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) and seized smuggled gold worth over ₹4.19 crore from two passengers who arrived from Dubai.On specific intelligence, the Air Intelligence Unit of Customs intercepted the two passengers, identified as Sanket Gadave and Pratik Jadhav, travelling from Dubai, who would attempt to smuggle prohibited or restricted goods into India. While Gadave is a native of Kolhapur, Jadhav is a native of Sangli.Customs officers strategically positioned themselves near the exit gate of the arrival hall and intercepted the duo after they crossed the green channel. The passengers were identified through their passports and were questioned about carrying any dutiable goods, gold or contraband items. Both denied carrying any such items.Officials first examined their baggage, but no incriminating material was found. Subsequently, personal searches of the passengers were conducted in the presence of gazetted Customs officers under Section 102 of the Customs Act, 1962.During the search of Sanket Gadave, officers recovered a black pouch concealed inside his clothing. The pouch appeared unusually heavy and, upon questioning, Gadave allegedly admitted that it contained gold in wax form. A similar pouch was recovered from Pratik Jadhav, who allegedly stated that it contained gold dust in wax form.Customs officials said the accused disclosed during questioning that the pouches were handed over to them by a Dubai-based individual linked to a gold smuggling syndicate. The duo allegedly admitted that the gold was intended to be smuggled into India without declaration before Customs authorities.According to investigators, Gadave was found carrying gold weighing 1,341.800 grams gross and 1,300 grams net, valued at ₹2.09 crore, while Jadhav carried 1,340.400 grams gross and 1,300 grams net, also valued at ₹2.09 crore. In total, Customs seized 2,682 grams gross weight and 2,600 grams net weight of gold valued at ₹4.19 crore.Officials stated that the gold was concealed inside socks and hidden on their persons to evade Customs checks. Since no legal ownership documents or baggage declaration were produced, the gold was seized under the Customs Act.Customs officials estimated that if the gold had been legally imported through the baggage route, a duty of approximately ₹1.46 crore would have been payable.Investigators said the accused have so far failed to disclose complete details regarding the intended recipients of the smuggled gold in India, the handlers who arranged the operation and other members of the syndicate. Officials are now probing the wider network, including suspected hawala transactions, procurement channels and international links associated with the smuggling operation.